Aang is an airbender who is also the Avatar. Unable to cope with the pressure of such, he ran away from home. One hundred years later, he woke up near the Southern Water Tribe. Realizing his mistake, he sets out to save the world from the tyranny and oppression of the Fire Nation.

History

One day, a monk told him to help keep the surrounding temples clean by scaring off all the lemurs. After completing the task, his friend told him he was looking for another nomad in a game of hide and seek and asked for his help. Aang helped the boy find the nomad but did not let the hiding airbender know he helped.

After being told a new glider course had been opened, he competed in a glider competition when challenged by an Air Nomad to race the course in thirty seconds. After doing so, another nomad challenged him to do the course in twenty-five seconds. Once he succeeded, he partook in a lesson where he and his fellow students learned how to do an airball attack. He excelled and, as usual, was the first to complete the test course to practice the technique.

He later went to the bison stables to give his bison, Appa, some hay as no one else could do so when the bison was hungry. Shortly after, Gyatso came to take Aang to an important meeting. In the meeting, he was told that the world was close to a war and he was the Avatar. Unable to cope with the pressure of having to save the world and learning he would be separated from Gyatso, Aang fled the temple on Appa. He got caught in a storm and frozen in an iceberg.

One hundred years later, he awoke in the arms of a waterbender named Katara. After convincing her and her brother, Sokka, that he can be trusted, he offered to take them to their village on Appa. The bison, however, was still recovering from being frozen, and the trio is forced to walk.

Upon arriving at the village, Aang introduced to everyone there, including Katara and Sokka's grandmother. When asked how he managed to reach this point, he explained what happened at the air temple. After doing so, he said he would return to the air temple to finish his training.

Not long later, the firebendingPrince of the Fire Nation, Zuko, arrived at the village, searching for Aang. The young airbender agreed to turn himself over to Zuko, so long as the firebender did not harm the villagers. Once on the ship, Aang made his escape from his prison room despite the spike traps put in place.

Aang found Zuko's stateroom, where he took his glider back after apprehending the guards. He tried to fly away, only for Zuko to jump on him, thus forcing the Avatar to battle the prince. Unable to use his airbending effectively against the firebender's impressive ring of fire, Aang tricked the prince into destroying three separate chains holding up some barrels, which subsequently collapse on the prince, disabling him. Katara and Sokka appeared on the now-recovered Appa, and they all fly away together.

The group soon reached the Southern Air Temple, where Aang began to look around for his friends. He came across a statue of his father-figure, Gyatso, and explained to Sokka that the monk was a master airbender. He quickly became interested in a stray lemur and chased after it, not hearing Katara call after him.

Aang chased the lemur into a long room with a chasm, in the middle of which the lemur flew across to escape the nomad. Aang entered four different rooms and used his airbending to push four different boulders in to small holes, which increase the air current and enable Aang to fly across the chasm after the lemur.

He found the lemur in a room next to a corpse. Upon approaching the corpse, he realized it was Gyatso's. In a fit of anger and sadness, he accidentally entered the Avatar State. Katara managed to calm him down, saving the temple. Realizing his people are dead, he decided to learn waterbending instead, as Katara also needed a teacher. Just before they left, the lemur decided to go with them; Aang named him Momo.

Sometime later, Aang and his friends come across a young boy who was being chased by Fire Nation soldiers for earthbending. Despite Katara's attempts to stop them, they were all taken to prison. Aang had Katara and Sokka argue to get the guards' attention, while he wandered around the prison, trying to find a way out. After airbending to make a boulder move, he was accused of earthbending and forced to spend a few hours in a dark container.

While in there, the Avatar learned from a fellow prisoner that the prison was inescapable unless the prisoners had enough earth and motivation to escape. Aang eventually got out and began to secretly move boulders nearer to prisoners. He eventually realized the boy from before was nowhere to be seen. When he found the boy, a soldier moved to attack the child, who was suddenly stopped by the prisoner from before; he is the boy's father.

A prison riot began until Aang was left to finish off the remaining guards and commander while the prisoners flee. Katara returned to get him put as the prisoners entered lockdown, and they fled the prison.

After a while, the three friends came close to the Northern Air Temple, which intrigued Aang, who wanted to see if any of his people are still there. When he got there, Fire Nation soldiers attacked him and took him prisoner. After some time, the Blue Spirit appeared and freed the Avatar. Despite the spirit being silent, Aang trusted him and fought his way through the prison with him.

They were almost out when they were suddenly surrounded by soldiers. The spirit held Aang at sword-point, enabling them to escape despite Aang's initial panic. When they were almost a safe distance away, the spirit was shot down by an archer. Aang discovered it was really Zuko. Despite knowing the prince was going to take him prisoner, Aang still helped the unconscious prince escape and remained with him until he awoke. Despite helping the firebender, Zuko still tried to attack the Avatar, causing Aang to flee and leave the firebender on his own.

Aang and his friends finally reached the Northern Water Tribe. After a ceremony where they are praised and welcomed, Aang started his training the next day. He learned basic techniques such as moving the water from small dishes and fountains.

When the Fire Nation invaded, Aang ventured to the Spirit Oasis and entered the Avatar State through meditation to seek advice from the Dragon Spirit. He was told to let "his emotions flow like water" to save the tribe. When Aang regained consciousness, he found that Zuko had him prisoner. After he and Katara froze him in ice, they returned to the battle. Before going, Aang melted the top of the ice so Zuko could breathe.

Aang witnessed as Zhao, leader of the attack, killed the Moon Spirit and watched on as Yue gave her life so the Moon Spirit could be revived. He made his way through the city and eventually reached its edges. He managed to enter the Avatar State and use his newfound power and control to drown the fleet.

With the battle won, he proclaimed that he would master the four elements and become a true Avatar.